Seconds Too Late
by SUPRNTRAL LVR
Summary: AU: Scotty beams James and Captin Pike safely back to the ship, but what if he was too late to save Spock...? Contains Angsty! and Limp!
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...

Just come back from watching the film, and have been struck by a 'what if!' Unfortunately I don't know much about Star Trek, but I'll do my best. Please do correct me if I get something wrong!

So, this 'what if' occurs near the end of the film. This picks up right where James Kirk has rescued Captin Pike and is shouting at the _Enterprise _to beam them out of the _Narada. _Spock, meanwhile, is flying his future-self's ship towards the _Narada _to set off the red matter and destroy the enemy. Basically, I was thinking what if James gave the order to beam them out too late? What if Spock was still on board the ship as the explosions began?

What if?

* * *

Spock span his ship around in a wide arc, emerging out of it just in time to see the _Narada _flicker out of warp. He hissed a curse, his knuckles turning white on his clenched fists. He knew he had to stop them somehow, but for once his rational Vulcan mind was spiralling out of rational measurements. He had no idea if Kirk had found the Captin yet, or if he was even still alive. His plan had such a low sucess percentage, and yet he still felt that he could trust Kirk somehow... he looked up as an alert went off on his control screen. The _Narada _was targetting him again. If he didn't do something quickly he was going to be blown to peices.

And yet, he realized, he had everything he needed with him right now.

Kirk wanted the _Narada _destroyed. If Spock could only set off the red matter within the enemy ship, it would be swallowed up by a black hole. Surely once Kirk realized something was wrong with the ship, he would get himself off it straightaway. But there was only one problem still remaining - Spock would need to set off the red matter with an explosion, but he could not do so when it was in the ship with him. And there was no time and no possible way to send the whole lot out into space. The only way to set it off would be to destroy the ship with it, that would have enough firepower surely. But...

But if he destroyed the ship, he would be killed along with it.

_I'm not that brave. _Spock swallowed hard, clenching his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. If he didn't do it, the _Narada _would kill him anyway along with the _Enterprise. _He thought of his mother, of his homeplanet ruthlessly destroyed in seconds. He thought of the fury, the anger, the greif that had consumed him as he hard stared at the place his mother should have matirealized. And yet he had lost her forever, because of Nero. Yes, he was emotionally compromised towards this mission. But it was more than that. He wanted... he wanted _revenge. _He wanted to make them pay for what they had done. And so he would.

What was his own life in comparison to the thousands on board the _Enterprise, _to the thousands more that would die when the _Narada _continued its killing spree. Spock wet his lips. Then he sucked in a deep breath and urged his craft forwards, heading straight for the jagged, glistening form of the _Narada._

The explosion that followed when he collided with the ship would set off the red matter and produce a black hole. The _Narada _would be stopped. And that was all that mattered.

* * *

James stumbled as the _Narada _shuddered around him. Captin Pike fell heavily against him and he gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his balance. It was as if something had just rammed into the ship. Shaking himself, James lifted his comunicator to his mouth.

"Scotty!" he yelled. "Get us out of here!"

The familiar tingling sensation rolled over him as the transporter took hold of them both. James tightened his grip on Captin Pike. Then the familiar rushing feeling spread over him and the world dissolved around him. The familiar white walls of the _Enterprise _came into sight around him and he felt a huge flood of relief. They had made it back.

"Nice work, Scotty," he panted, allowing two medical workers to take Captin Pike from him.

Scotty didn't answer - he was still working furiously at his control board. James frowned, looking around. Then his stomach flipped over; Spock wasn't there. James turned to Scotty.

"Where is Spock?" he demanded. "Bring him in, now!"

"He's moving!" Scotty growled back through clenched teeth. "I'm trying... I've almost... yes!"

Abruptly the whole room appeared to shake, and James snatched at the wall for support. He looked up to catch a glimpse of something small and dark flying towards his face just in time to duck. A chunk of rubble flew over his head and smashed into the wall behind him. More rubble was flying out all over the room.

"What's going on?" he shouted. "Scotty?!"

Scotty's brow was furrowed with concentration, clearly he could not hear a word of what James was saying. He hit a button and a moment later the white outline of a figure appeared in the room. Then Spock matirealized, still in mid-fall, and crashed hard into the opposite wall. James let out a breath. He was back, everything was alright... Scotty shut off the transporter and the rush of rubble stopped at last.

"Good work, Scotty," he said, moving forwards. He raised his voice. "Spock, what was that? What happened?"

Spock was still lying where he had fallen, his chest jerking and spasming irregularly. Now that he was closer, James could see ash and cuts adorning his skin, burns spreading out over one hand. Even as James quickened his pace, Spock let out a choking gasp and blood sprayed from his lips, spattering over the floor.

"Spock!"

James ran forwards, dropping to his knees and grabbing Spock by the shoulders. Spock's hand clutched weakly at his sleeve, his eyes fluttering open.

"K-Kirk... black hole... about to... destroy t-the _Narada..."_

He let out an agonized moan and his eyes rolled back in his head, his body abruptly falling limp.

"Spock? Spock, hey! Spock!" James shook him but he didn't respond. He twisted around, looking for Scotty and the others. "Send a message to the medical team, now! Someone help me get him upstairs!"

"He said a black hole was about to destroy the _Narada,"_ Scotty said, rising to his feet as the others rushed to follow James's orders. "James, you have to do something! We must get this ship out of here, or we'll be sucked in too."

"Then go up to the main deck and tell everyone to get the _Enterprise _clear of the _Narada,_" James snapped.

A man was hurrying forwards to help him, and together they lifted Spock and began to carry him towards the door. Scotty turned to follow them.

"You're the captin, James! What are you going to do?"

James shot him a glare. "Go to the main deck. I'm going with Spock."

**Any good? Please reveiw! Reviews are cookies!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! I wasn't expecting to get many on this because its a fairly new film and I'm not sure how popular Spock and Kirk agnsty is at the moment. But I was plesantly surprised! :) Thanks so much, here's the next chapter!**

**Once again, I apologize if I get something wrong with the ship or the crew - I'm not very familiar with them!**

* * *

Scotty through himself into the lift and slammed a hand against a button. The lift began to move upwards towards the main control room. He twisted his hands anxiously before him, tapping one foot impatiently. _Come on, come on... _the doors slid open and Scotty moved quickly out onto the floor.

"We have a problem, people!" he yelled.

The crew looked up, frowning. Uhura rose to her feet, turning away from her station.

"Scotty? Where's Jim and Spock, and the Captin?"

"What's going on?" Chekov added. "Something blew up just beside the _Narada, _we've just seen it."

"No time!" Scotty yelped, racing forwards to stand beside the Captin's seat. "The _Narada _is about to be consumed by a black hole, and if we're not careful we'll be sucked in with it! We have to get out of here!"

A murmur of shock and confusion rose up from the crew. Chekov instantly whirled back to face his control pannel, his face grim with fear; Uhura put a hand to her mouth in horror. And, a few seconds later, the whole ship tilted dizzyingly to the left. Scotty, the only one who wasn't sitting down, was thrown to the side and would have fallen straight into the control pannel if he hadn't grabbed the arm of the Captin's chair. The _Enterprise _span around, engines firing up - and the black hole burst out from the _Narada. _The other ship was consumed in seconds, and the next moment the _Enterprise _was juddering and shaking as it was dragged backwards.

"Someone do something!" Scotty shouted, digging his fingers into the arm of the chair. "Chekov!"

"I'm trying!" Chekov snapped back. "Its too strong!"

"We're being pulled back!"

Uhura span around in her chair. "Where's Jim?" she demanded. "We need a Captin!"

"He won't come. I don't know what to..." Scotty's voice trailed off. "Wait... we could use the ship's warp drive reactor cores," he whispered. "If we ignited them... the explosion might just be enough..."

He froze, checking and re-checking everything in his head. Then he turned and sprinted back to the lift.

"Hold on!" he threw back over his shoulder. "I'm gonna get us out of here!"

"But what are you going to..." Chekov trailed off as the lift's doors slid closed. "Do," he finished, scowling.

* * *

Jim had Spock's blood on his shirt.

The very smell of it was making him tremble slightly with fear for the Vulcan, and the fact that Spock had not said a word since they had begun to move him was even more worrying. Jim could see that he had more injuries that he had first thought - blood was leaking out of a wound just above his stomach, one leg was twisted grotesquely at an angle and blood was still trickling from his lips, dripping onto the floor. Ash was smeared across his cheek and clothes, and he hung limply in Jim's grasp, offering no response or sign of life. Jim swallowed hard. As long as they got him to the hospital bay quickly, he would be alright. Bones would be able to help him...

The _Enterprise _suddenly tilted abruptly, and Jim, Spock and the man who had come to help them all slammed into the left hand wall. The ship's engines began to fire up, sending all of them sliding back the way they had come and colliding harshly with the back wall. Jim's head snapped back, striking the wall sharply, and black dots danced before his eyes. He managed to hold onto both consciousness and Spock, one arm wrapped protectively around Spock's chest. Blood made his fingers slippery, and the ship appeared to be shaking and jolting wildly.

"What the...?" Jim tightened his grip on Spock and pressed a hand to his com. "Scotty? Uhura? Suru? Chekov? Come on, anyone!"

He got nothing but interference. He lowered his hand, wetting his lips, and looked around. The crew member had been sperated from them - presumably he had fallen down a different corridor when the ship tilted - which meant that Jim was on his own. He looked down at Spock.

"Okay then, man," he muttered. "Looks like we're on our own."

He grabbed the wall and stood up, pulling Spock upright with him. He pulled one of the Vulcan's arms around his shoulders and then wrapped his own arm around his waist. Bracing himself for the weight, he pushed forwards and began to walk unsteadily. He made it around the corner, and then the ship suddenly slipped out from beneath his feet, launching him forwards. He hit the ground, still managing to keep hold of Spock, and both of them tumbled down the corridor. The ship must have been thrown forwards somehow, but thankfully it was now moving at a steady pace. Whatever Scotty was doing, Jim was going to have words with him later...

For the second time he stood up, grabbed Spock, and began to move once more. It felt like far too long before he reached the medical bay, but finally he saw the doors and felt a wave of relief.

"This is happening to me way too often," he muttered, limping forwards.

He reached the medical bay and the doors slid open before him. He could see Captin Pike being taken care of on the other side, but the whole room appeared to be in chaos. Bones glanced breifly over his shoulder.

"Jim, what the hell is going on? You can't expect me to help people in this..."

His voice trailed off and he looked again. Then he muttered something to his accomplices and strode over to them, taking Spock's other side.

"What happened?" he asked shortly.

"I'm not sure," Jim panted as they made their way over to one of the beds. "Scotty tried to bring him back with us but there must have been some sort of problem." He paused, thinking about it clearly for the first time. "He must have still been on the ship when it hit the _Narada._"

Bones paled. "Was he exposed to any radiation from the red matter? Do you know how long he was in there for before you got him out?"

Jim shook his head helplessly. Bones swallowed hard, and then pulled Spock up onto the bed and gently pulled his eyelid open. He peered into the Vulcan's face, and then allowed his eye to close again.

"Someone get me a Geiger counter XM?" Bones called and then, at Jim's arched eyebrow, "To measure the radiation."

Jim nodded. "Will that-"

He broke off as Spock's body spasmed again and blood sputtered from his lips once more, staining the white blanket beneath him. He began to choke and Bones swore loudly.

"I need some help over here!" he called. "Jim, get outta the way."

Jim found himself pushed back out of the way by two young women and a man. He hovered just behind them, clenching his fists as Spock's body jerked and trembled. Bones glanced up at him.

"Go back to the control room, Jim, they'll need you."

"Bones..." Jim hesitated. "You _can _help him, can't you?"

Bones wouldn't meet his gaze. "You have to go, Jim," he muttered.

Jim stood frozen for a few seconds, all too aware that Bones had not answered his question. Then he quickly turned and left before he could convince himself to change his mind.

* * *

Uhura looked up as Jim stepped out of the lift and strode into the middle of the room. She smiled - for a moment Scotty's anxious, jittery actions had made her feel that something was wrong, but Jim was right here. She twisted around in her seat, waiting for Spock to follow, but he did not. She frowned, and then span around to face Jim.

"What was all that about?" he was demanding. "Did we hit a meteor or were you all just trying make my life harder?"

"Scotty just saved us," Chekov replied, grinning. "It was ingenious, he ignited the ship's warp reactor core to throw us clear of the black hole. We all would have been killed if it hadn't been for him."

Jim deflated slightly. "Right... good work, all of you. I'm sorry I wasn't here I... well."

"Jim?" Uhura rose to her feet. "Where's Captin Pike and Spock?"

Jim fixed his gaze on a star far out in space. "Pike's in the medical bay," he replied. "I think he'll be alright."

"And Spock?" Uhura prompted, moving over to him. "He did get out alright, didn't he? Jim?"

Jim opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Uhura felt a small twinge of irritation. "Jim, answer me..." her voice trailed off as her eyes slid down. The stood in silence for a few moments, and then quietly spoke again. "Jim, there's blood on your shirt. And its not human."

Jim took a deep breath. "No, Uhura, its not. Don't take this badly, alright?"

"What happened?" Uhura asked quickly. "Is Spock hurt?"

"He's in the medical bay," Jim replied. "He was still on board his ship when it hit the _Narada._"

Uhura's eyes widened. ""What? But... but _how_? Why didn't you pull him out before-"

"I tried, but Scotty couldn't get a focus on him because he was moving!" Jim snapped back. "I _did _try, Uhura."

"But... he's going to be alright?"

Jim shook his head and slumped down on in his chair. "How the hell should I know?" he asked tiredly, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just... I don't know, Uhura."

She stared at him. Then she turned and ran towards the lift. She heard Jim call her name, but she ignored him. She had to see Spock, to make sure he was going to be alright... but what if Bones couldn't help him?

What if Spock's life was in real danger?

**Please review, and I'll try and update soon!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! You people are amazing! :D**

**And also, thank you so much to Whas'up for telling me that Vulcan blood was green. I was worried all the way through the last chapter because I was sure that it wasn't red, but I didn't know what it was supposed to be and didn't feel like I could describe it properly. So thanks for telling me that!**

**Okay, on with the angsty Spock/Jim/Uhura. Will Spock survive? We shall see!**

* * *

Bones wouldn't let anyone in to the medical bay.

Instead, Uhura sat on the floor beside the sliding doors, her arms wrapped around her knees. The corridor was eerily silent, and completely deserted. Every so often there was a clatter from inside, or she would hear Bone's voice rising slightly. She would sit up, fear sending her nerves jangling, but the doors remained closed and the silence would always return within a few moments. She could feel greif and anxiety gnawing a jagged, aching hole in her chest that grew wider with every second. She wanted to cry or scream, but all she could do was sit there, frozen in place.

She just wanted to see him.

She couldn't even remember the last thing she had said to him, or he to her. What if she never spoke to him again? She remembered that last, passionate kiss they had shared before he had gone. She had been so certain that Jim would be responsible enough to keep him safe. In fact, she had been sure that Spock would be alright alone. The thought of him vanishing from her life was too devestating to be real. Spock was just so... there were no words to describe Spock. He was perfect and beautiful and... and logical, she added silently managing a small smile.

She must have gone in to some sort of daze because the next thing she knew was that the doors to the medical bay were sliding open and a young nurse was hurrying out. Uhura scrambled up to her feet, opening her mouth to speak but the nurse was already around the corner before she could get out a single word. Uhrua stood still for a moment, and then made up her mind. She could wait no longer. Bracing herself for what she might find, she slipped through the sliding doors and into the medical bay.

Inside the smell of blood hit her like a slap in the face. Captin Pike was on one side of the room being attended to by a young man, while Bones and a woman were standing around a bed on the other side. Uhura couldn't see Spock from where she was standing, and suddenly she didn't know if she wanted to. But she forced herself to take a deep breath and moved forwards, walking silently so as not to disturb them.

"Okay, okay," Bones was saying rapidly. Sweat was glistening on his forehead and his face was lined with stress. "We'll try again. Hold it ready."

The woman nodded. Uhura looked over her shoulder and caught her breath, stiffening. Spock's skin was deathly pale, marred by scratches and grazes. The left side of his torso and his chest were purple-red with bruising and a deep gash was bleeding heavily between his ribs. Bones had both hands around the wound, trying to apply pressure, dark green blood leaking from between his fingers like ink. It was strange - no, terrifying - to see him so badly wounded.

"Right here, Loua," Bones said suddenly, and the woman held out a thick tube. Bones took it and squeezed out a thick glob of red paste over the gash. Uhura recognized it as a sort of cream that stopped blood flow by quickly clotting in the wound. And yet, even as Bones passed the tube back to Loua, the paste began to disolve.

"No, no, no!" Bones moaned, pressing his hands over the gash again. "C'mon, Spock, give me a break here!"

"Its not going to work," Loua said, her voice shaking slightly. "The radiation must be too strong..."

"I know, I know!" Bones snapped. "Just... just go get me a pressure pad, its the best we can do."

Loua nodded and moved away. Bones looked up, his eyebrows jumping up. Apparently he had only just noticed Uhura.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded. "I'm sorry but I'm not quite ready for twenty questions right now."

Uhura swallowed hard. "I know I just... is there anything I can do?"

Bones began to shake his head, but then Spock's whole body suddenly jerked and blood began to flow from his lips. Bones swore.

"Not again... Loua! Loua!"

"I've got it," Uhura said, stepping forwards. She grabbed a sponge-cloth from Bones' equiptment table and began to wipe the blood away as gently as she could. Spock shuddered at her touch and then his eyes cracked open, dark glimmering slits in his face.

"N-Nyota," he breathed.

Bones' head snapped up. "Ah, no..." he twisted around. "Loua, he's awake. I need a sedative over here." And then, as Spock began to tremble, "Now, Loua!"

Spock was struggling to breathe, his eyes squeezing shut in agony. Uhura felt her heart jerk and placed her ands on his face, caressing him gently. Spock's hand jerked up to grab Bones' arm, pushing him back, and Uhura reached over to put a hand on his wrist.

"It's okay, Spock, calm down. It's okay, I promise," she whispered, bending her head close to his. "You're going to be fine, you hear me? Just _fine._"

Spock released Bones but still continued to spasm and jerk, his breathing fast and irregular. His eyes opened once more but stared straight through her, glazed and unfocussed. Loua reappeared and gave him a shot in the arm - he flinched, and then his breathing finally began to slow down and the spasms lessened to small trembles. Uhura ran a hand over his brow.

"Spock?" she whispered. "Can you hear me?"

His eyes slid over and met hers, tears of pain collecting in the corners of them. Then, slowly, his eyes fluttered closed. Uhura looked up at Bones, who was attatching a pressure pad over the gash in Spock's side.

"What's wrong?" she asked, forcing her voice not to shake.

Bones glanced breifly up at her, and then nodded shortly to Loua who moved away. He walked over to join Uhura at Spock's head, his blood-stained hands twisting awkwardly in front of him.

"A number of things are wrong, Uhura," he said, sighing heavily. "He was caught in the explosion when his ship hit the _Narada._ Now, that would have been bad enough but then I believe he was exposed to a very dangerous type of radiation from the red matter on board when that, too, exploded."

"Radiation?" Uhura repeated.

Bones nodded grimly. Loua had returned and silently passed him a sterilized towel, which he used to clean his hands. He looked tired and strained; even his hair seemed to droop. It was a big change from his usual smiling face.

"This radiation is fatal," he said. "When breathed in it begins to destroy the body from the inside out, eating away at every organ. That's why he keeps throwing up blood - his insides are being savaged."

"Can you stop it?" Uhura asked quickly, gripping the edge of the bed tightly.

"I believe it can be countered by another type of radiation," Bones replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at his patient. "In the medical world we call it Varsolenim radiation. It might be strong enough to kill the atoms of the red matter radiation and stop its effect."

"Then use it," Uhura said instantly. "Why aren't you using it now?"

"Because," Bones said, "Varsolenim is extreamly dangerous. Its not taken on board ships because if there was even the slightest malfunction it could kill everybody on board. It has to be used in a certain way in medicene, and its too risky to just shove it in a box and hope it remains stable."

The truth dawned on Uhura in a cold, sickening light. "We don't have any," she said quietly.

Bones bit his lip. "I've sent someone to check, just in case..."

At that moment the door slid open and the nurse Uhura had seen leaving appeared. Her eyes were wide and distraught as she looked at Bones. She gave a small shake of her head. That was all Uhura needed to know. Sinking into despair, she bent her head and rested her forehead against Spock's as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

* * *

Jim rubbed his forehead as he took in everything that Bones had just said. He pressed his lips together and then spoke, managing to keep his voice level.

"So you're telling me that his body is disintergrating from the inside out? And the only thing that can help him - this Varsolenim radiation - is a thing that we don't have?"

Bones nodded. Jim sighed heavily and bent his head again. They were standing in the main control room of the _Enterprise; _the main crew minus Uhura who had refused to leave the medical bay. Jim was horribly aware of the fact that Bones' medical shirt was still spattered with blood.

"Its alright," Jim muttered, lifting his head. "It's going to be fine. We'll just go back to Earth as fast as we can."

"Our warp engine was just destroyed," Scotty said. "It'll take at least a week to repair it, maybe even two."

"That's too long," Bones responded at once. "In his condition, Spock will be dead within three days, maybe four if we're lucky."

Jim pressed a hand to his brow in despair. There was nothing he could do... suddenly, Chekov looked up, letting out a short exclaimation.

"This Varsolenim," he said earnestly. "It's found near hydra-soldian sources, isn't it? Like Soldian volcanoes - Soldian volcanoes produce Varsolenim radiation, right?"

"Yes," Bones replied slowly.

Chekov span over to his control pannel and hit a few buttons. Then he looked up. "We're just a few hundered miles from Bellia. It's one of the planets in the known universe with a Soldian Volcano."

"You're kidding," Jim gasped, his eyes widening. "That's... set a course, now!"

"Wait," Bones said, frowning. "What about Captin Pike? We don't know the _Narada's _technology - I don't know how much Nero did to him or how to treat him. He has to get back to Earth as soon as possible."

"But... argh!" Jim tore at his hair. "How long does he have?"

"I don't know, like I said, I don't know Nero's technology! He seems to be recovering but if there's some kind of sudden change in his condition, there's nothing I'll be able to do."

Jim sat down hard in his chair. How the hell was he supposed to choose one life over another? He wasn't a god. He couldn't choose who lived and who died. But if he was Captin now, and it was his job to choose. He wet his lips, struggling to find words. What was he supposed to do, flip a coin? Jesus...

"Captin," Sarek murmured. "We need a decision made, now."

"I know." Jim took a deep breath. "Alright. Okay. Its obvious what we have to do."

**Aaaaaaaaand yes, I'm going to leave you with a cliff hanger! Aren't I evil? ;) Please Review! Reviews are the only things that make me find time to write the next chapter!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Once again, thanks for the reviews!**

**And also I feel I should apologize for the mistakes in the last chapter. (I was very tired when writing it, if that's any kind of excuse! :)) A very good point that was made by a few people was that the bruising should be greenish-bluish rather than red-purple - thanks for picking that up, I should have thought about it a little longer. Plus, someone mentioned that I must have done a lot of research on radiation poisoning... erm, no I just completely made it up, although you reminded me that I probably should research at least a little before going any further into it! :D Thanks again for all your support and the constructive criticism.**

**So, who has Jim chosen to save?**

* * *

"I'm really not comfortable with this, Jim."

Jim glanced over his shoulder. Bones was standing just behind him, his arms folded, his mouth set in a firm line. Jim sighed and ran one hand through his hair.

"Well, what would you suggest?" he demanded. "I let one of them die? This is the best I can do, Bones, and you know it."

Bones nodded reluctantly. He stepped forwards into the tiny evacuation ship which contained nothing but Captin Pike's bed and some medical equiptment. The crew Bones had selected to accompany Pike on his journey back to Earth were shuffling in and out, making last minute checks. Bones glanced at Jim.

"Look," Jim said shortly. "Its the only thing I _can _do. I can't just let one of them die. We're closest to Bellia, and Spock's the one in the worst condition here. This capsule will carry the Captin back to Earth where he can get the help he needs while we get to Bellia."

"But still, Jim!" Bones cried. "If there is an emergency on this ship we will have one less ship to leave on. Some of our crew will be killed."

"Then we'll have to make sure that there is no emergency."

"But-"

"If you have a better plan, Bones, I'd be happy to hear it!"

Bones fell silent, biting his lip. Jim glared at him for a moment, and then looked back at the capsule.

"I didn't think so. Just trust me. I've steered us right so far, haven't I?" He turned away from the capsule. "Give your medical team one last breifing and then return to Spock. We'll go for Bellia as soon as the ship's clear."

Jim made his way down the corridor and into the lift. All he wanted was to go to the medical room, but what could he do? Pace and whine in fustration while Spock wasted away before his eyes? No. He had to be somewhere he could be of use. Instead he pressed the button for the main control room. He reached it in only a few seconds and stepped inside. Scotty was waiting for him, anxious and impatient.

"There you are. Are they on their way out?"

"They're just about to leave. And the ship's engines?"

"I've managed to get them into a bit of a better shape, but we still can't use the warp drive. We'll have to go slowly."

"How long will it take?" Jim looked past him at Chevok. "Chevok?"

"Twenty four hours, minimum," Chevok replied promptly. "Without the warp our speed will be affected."

Jim forced back a scream of fustration. That only left them two days to search Bellia for one of the volcanoes and return to the ship in time to save Spock. But at least now they had a plan, and a chance - however small - to change Spock's fate. Jim sat down in his chair, taking a deep breath.

"Okay. As soon as the evacuation capsule is clear of our engines, set a course for Bellia. Fast as you can."

There was a chorus of 'yes sir's from the crew. Jim glanced down at his watch. Now he had nothing to do but wait.

* * *

Bellia floated gently in the vast emptiness of space, surrounded in the ghostly blue glow of its own atmosphere. Beneath the beautiful colour it was truly grey, huge cracks rushing across its surface, visible even from the _Enterprise. _Purple lava glowed like acid, forming a spiderweb across the dirty surface of the planet. Soldian lava. If this had been any other harmless expedition, Jim might have paused to watch it for a while. But he had spent the last hour putting on his gear - which had so many seemingly useless buckles that it had become slightly ridiculous towards the end - and was now waiting in the teleportation room with Sulu and Chevok. Since Bones couldn't leave Spock, Chevok was the only other person who knew enough about Soldian volcanoes to safely handle it.

Scotty was ready at the control pannel, his eyes fixed on Jim. Chevok was fiddling with his equiptment - a large machine made up of thick coils of wire and electromagnets with a clear tube at one end. Chevok handled it with great care - although it looked bulky it was clearly very delicate. He slipped it into its protective case and then looked up, giving Jim a short nod. Jim turned to Scotty.

"Okay," he said shortly. "Remember: any change at all in his condition and you call me straight away. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Jim cast one more look at Chevok and Sulu. Then he braced himself. "Right. Let's go."

There was a moment of blinding light. Then something harder than a brick wall slammed into him so abruptly that he skidded backwards. His instincts took over and he dug his boots into the rocky ground, drawing his gun, but then the 'something' suddenly vanished and he fell forwards onto his knees. He looked up, opening his eyes.

He was crouched on a small rocky mountain. Dust and ash blew into the visor over his eyes, almost completely obscuring his vision. An intense smell, like sulpher or acid rushed into his face, making him grimace. Thick blue clouds rushed overhead, moving alarmingly quickly across the sky, as if chasing one another. As he shakily rose to his feet, a vibrant purple caught his eye and he turned to see a flood of purple-white lava cascading over the ground a gew meters away. Every so often a cloud of ash blew across the uneven surface of the planet, catching in the creases of Jim's suit.

"Jim!"

He turned, taking a step forwards. The edge of the rock crumbled beneath his foot like charcol, and he pulled back just in time. The rock was strong in clumps but when it was thinner it was alarmingly brittle. He would have to watch out for that. Looking up, Jim caught sight of Chevok and Sulu on the ground below the small mountain he was standing on. Carefully, testing the rock before he put his weight on it, he made his way down the rock and joined them. His heavy boots left deep footprints in the crumbling ground.

"Nice place," Sulu remarked as Jim reached them.

"We'll need to get below the surface," Chevok said, shouting over the roar of the wind. "We should follow this lava. It'll lead us back to the source - the volcano."

Jim followed his gaze to the purple river he had seen before. He nodded. "Yes, good. We need-"

He broke off in a short gasp as another wall of wind slammed into them, and they all staggered backwards. He managed to regain his balance and reached out a hand to steady Chevok, who had almost been blown away by the attack.

"Like I was about to say," he said, grinning. "We need to watch out for this wind. We don't need any more casulties."

The other two nodded and together they began to move, picking their way carefully over the unsteady ground. The volcano rose up before them slowly - it took at least half an hour to get there. It was a huge, irregular cone of rock that had been glazed over with a silvery film from the lava. The fumes from the lava were almost choking, even through their protective visors. The ground was even worse here - it slipped about beneath them, more like charcol than rock. Jim moved closer, fighting against the furious wind. It grew stronger until he was almost unable to move, and then dropped away once more, making him tumble to the ground once more. He heard two more thuds behind him as Sulu and Chevok followed suit.

"Chevok!" Jim yelled. "Is this close enough?"

Chevok shouted something back but the roar of the volcano and the gathering wind was too strong. When Jim didn't hear, Chevok tried again. He shook his head and stabbed a finger downwards.

"Down!" he yelled. "We have to go underneath! To the source!"

Jim felt a rush of despair, and then pushed it away. They could still do this. They just had to find a way down. He tried to go closer, but the heat was unbearable. Instead, he circled the whole place, Sulu and Chevok searching on the other side. As he completed a full circle around the volcano, his com beeped loudly and he pulled it out, his heart jerking in panic.

"Bones? What's wrong?"

Bones' voice was hard to hear. Interference crackled, almost drowning Bones' voice out, but Jim managed to make it out.

"His condition is getting worse. I'm starting to get worried, Jim. It shouldn't happen so fast to a Vulcan."

Jim swallowed hard. "We're going as fast as we can. We'll get the radiation. Just stay calm, we will be back in time."

"Hurry," Bones replied softly before hanging up.

Jim lowered his com. Despite his positive tone, Bones' words had shaken him. Spock had less than two days left, and by the sound of it even that might be wishful thinking. A shout from the other side of the volcano reached his ears and he looked up hopefully. He scrambled around the volcano. Sulu had found a small hole in the side of the volcano which seemed to go straight down. Its walls were coated with the slippery silver glaze - it must have once been an exit for lava but for some reason was no longer one. Jim glanced at Chevok as he joined them.

"I think we can fit down this," Sulu offered. "The only thing is that we don't know where it goes, and its going to be hard to get out of."

"Its the only way in I can see," Jim replied. "We'll just have to deal with it. I'll go first."

Sulu shook his head. "I'll go first."

Jim hesitated, and then nodded. Sulu considered for a moment, and then put both a hand on either side of the hole and slowly lowered himself into it. He went all the way in, until he was just holding on by his fingertips, and then let go, dropping instantly into the blackness. Jim knelt down beside the hole, staring down into it, waiting. There was a soft thud, a grunt. Then Sulu called up.

"I'm down... there's a tunnel. I think... yeah, I can fit. We all can. I'm out of the way."

"Okay. You next, Chevok," Jim said. "I'll follow on."

Chevok nodded and strapped his bag onto his back before copying Sulu's example. He yelped as he hit the bottom of the hole, and Jim heard a scuffling as Sulu pulled him out of the way.

"Okay?"

"Okay!"

Jim placed one hand either side of the hole and lowered his body into the darkness. He took a deep breath, and then let go. He landed hard on the ground and sank to his knees in the pitch black. A sudden light blinded him and he lifted a hand, squinting up at Sulu who had turned on the light on his visor. Jim switched on his own light and looked around. His first thought was how claustrophobic this place made him feel, his second how cold it was - the temperature had somehow dropped, even though they were technically closer to the source of the volcano now. Jim was crouched in a tiny vertical tunnel, several other tunels branching off from it. All were tiny apart from a single larger one which stretched down towards the ground. Peering down it, he could see Chevok and further on Sulu on their hands and knees in the tunnel.

"You're leading us, Chevok," Jim called, his voice surprisingly small in the tiny space.

"Straight on," Chevok said. "Keep going in this direction. We need to find the main magma flow. Here..."

He reached for something in his pocket, struggling to manouver his arm properly. He pulled out a small rectanular device and handed it to Sulu awkwardly.

"Follow these readings," he instructed. "We want the needle moving to the positive end."

Sulu muttered a reply and paused for a moment before moving. As soon as there was space, Jim went down on his hands and knees and crawled into the tunnel. His back grated against the rocky roof of it, and his elbows knocked against the uneven wall. All he could see were the soles of Chevok's large, heavy, metal-toed boots and the crumbling floor of the tunnel around him. The rock clung to his gloves and his breath misted on the back of his visor from the drop in temperature. His suit was having to heat itself to make up for the sudden change. Eventually, he spoke up.

"Why is it so cold?"

Chevok tried to turn his head, banged his forehead on the wall, cursed, and continued to crawl. "Soldian volcanoes are very complicated. When they emerge from the volcano they react with the gases in the air and produce heat. In reality down at the source they're below freezing. Its one of the things that makes this lava so dangerous. If you touch this with your fingertip you'll lose your hand."

"Point taken," Jim murmured.

The tunnel abruptly twisted up, and then directly down. They had to go one at a time down the vertical part, and then had to twist themselves over a one hundred and eighty turn and move down a sloping tunnel once more. By the time Sulu finally stopped moving, Jim was bruised, dirty and his patience had snapped short.

"There's some sort of cavern down here," Sulu called back. "Your sensor's going wild, Chevok."

"We must be near the magma river," Chevok said. "This is what we're looking for."

"Okay. Jim?"

"Can you see a way down?" It was terrible not being able to see where they were going. Sulu would have to decide this for himself. Jim waited for a response, listening to the sound of his friends' breathing.

"We'll have to just drop," Sulu called at last. "I don't see any lava directly beneath us."

Jim hesitated. "Alright. Be careful."

He heard a scratching, the rustle of clothing, and then a loud thump. He waited.

"Its fine," Sulu called. "Come on down."

Chevok followed and then Jim went. The hole in the floor of the tunnel was large and jagged, and he had to just let himself fall - there was nothing to hold on to. He dropped through the air and landed hard on the ground, jarring one shoulder. He straightened up and looked around. They were in a much larger tunnel now, a small stream of lava running along one side. Chevok had taken control of his sensor and was holding it over the lava.

"This way," he said, pointing upstream (or up-lava, if you thought about it). "We need to be closer to the source, the radiation isn't strong enough here."

"Get it as soon as you can. We need to get back before-"

Jim never finished, because before he could complete his sentence a deep rumbling reached their ears. Jim shot a glance at Sulu and Chevok.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is," Sulu said.

"Its an erruption," Chevok whispered. "Its coming now."

"What do we-"

And then the ceiling of the tunnel they were standing in caved in with a deafening crash. Jim gave Chevok a shove to the right out of the path of a huge boulder. Then something hard hit him on the back of the head and he fell into blackness.

* * *

"Bones!"

Bones looked up and then moved over to Uhura's side quickly. Spock was shaking once more, green blood leaking around the pressure pad on his side, the grazes on his face and the corner of his mouth. Bruises covered his entire torso now as the radiation tore at his body relentlessly. Sweat stood out on his forehead, tiny beads of light against his pale skin. But this was not what had scared Uhura - Spock had steadily been getting worse over the past hour. But now, green-tinged tears were trickling from his closed eyes and rushing down his temples. Uhura looked close to tears herself.

"Can't you do anything for him? Any kind of pain relief?" she begged desperately. "Please, Bones!"

"Its not the pain," Bones said, frowning. "This is something else..."

He bent over his patient and gently eased Spock's eyelid open. Uhura gasped, pressing a hand over her mouth. Blue veins were standing out on the whites of Spock's eyes, and his pupils had shrank to tiny dots. Bones let go, allowing Spock's eye to close.

"Its a reaction to the radiation, but... but this is wrong..." Bones murmured, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "This shouldn't happen until the last few hours."

"What's going on?" Uhura asked.

"Its the blood reacting. Eventually the blood vessels may burst and he'll become blind-"

"No!"

"- but this is one of the last signs," Bones insisted. "Its as if its all sped up..."

"What are you saying?"

Bones pressed his lips together. At that moment an alarm went off, and he paled. "No, no, no! I need an assistant in here, now!" he shouted, whirling to face the intercom.

"Bones?"

Bones turned to face her, fear drawn in every line of his face.

"His heart has stopped."

**Gasp! I don't think any of this will be very accurate since I don't know much about volcanoes, but its an alien planet and anything can happen, right? ;) Please, please review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thank you so, so much for the reviews!**

**And I am so, so sorry for the captain/captin thing but more for the Chevok/Chekov thing! I thought there was something off and I should have double checked but I got caught up in the end of the chapter and completely forgot! Sorry! Sorry for the other mistakes too. However one thing I will point out - this is a fictional story. All this stuff is coming mostly straight out of my head and its not going to be exact. Having said that, thanks still go out to Little Miss Bump who gave me a nice long message about radiation poisoning for all her effort. No, Little Miss Bump, I don't hate you for pointing out the mistakes, but I shall accept the cookie anyway :D Plus thanks to everyone else who corrected me on my mistakes.**

**And now on with the story!**

* * *

"No," Uhura whispered, rising slowly to her feet. "This can't... I... no!"

"There's nothing I can do," Bones said, pushing his hands through his hair in distress. "I don't understand... Uhura, I'm so sorry-"

He reached out a hand to her, but she brushed it away forcefully. "No, no! He's not dead, he can't be!" She bent over Spock's motionless body, pressing her hands against his face. "Spock? Spock, come back to me. Please, Spock, please!"

"Uhura... its no good," Bones said hesitantly, placing an hand on her arm. "Don't make this worse..."

He broke off as one of the machines bleeped loudly, and then strode around to the other side of the bed to check it. He frowned at it, and then looked quickly at Spock.

"That can't be... what?"

Uhura slowly looked up as he checked Spock's pulse, and then frowned again.

"But..."

She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, when Spock suddenly sucked in a shuddering gasp and began to breathe harshly once more, his whole body shaking violently. Uhura flinched in shock, and then latched onto his hand.

"Spock? Bones, he's alive!"

"I know!" Bones exclaimed, moving over the various machines. "I don't understand... wait." He looked up at Spock. "He's Vulcan."

"What difference does that make?"

"Vulcans can heal themselves," Bones said. "This radiation damages their immune system, like poison, but Spock is fighting it."

Uhura felt a grin break out across her face. "You mean...?"

"No," Bones said, reading her thoughts. "No, he cannot fight it off completely. I doubt he'll be able to pull this off again. But he just bought himself a few more hours."

"Then our hope still rests with Jim," she said, sitting down once more.

"Lets just hope he gets here soon," Bones murmured.

* * *

Jim rushed back to consciousness with a sudden coughing fit. He cracked his watering eyes open, but was met only with darkness. A great weight was pressing down on his right arm, preventing him from moving. He lifted his free hand to his face and felt for the light on his visor. His fingers found nothing but cracked glass. His light had been broken. He lowered his hand, feeling along his belt for his second torch. He found it, unclipped it, tried the switch. Thankfully, it lit up, bathing the world around him in bright light. He blinked hard, turning his head to shine his torch around the cavernous tunnel they were lying in. The roof had apparently caved in. He could not see the others, only piles of rock and dust filling the tunnel. He looked to his other side, at the huge rock pinning his right arm to the ground. This was not good...

A sudden scuffling, scratching sound from somewhere beyond the rock piles grabbed his attention and he looked up.

"Captain?"

Jim grinned. "Sulu!" he called. "Are you okay?"

A cough, the knocking of rock against rock. "Yeah... yeah, I'm okay."

"Where's Chekov?"

"Here."

Jim turned his head to see Chekov appear from behind a pile of rocks, on his hands and knees but apparently unhurt. He was rubbing the back of his head, but all of his limbs were in working order. There was a loud clatter from Jim's other side, announcing Sulu's arrival. He was in worse shape - his visor was cracked and he was rubbing his ribs, wincing. Jim relaxed, relieved that they were both alive.

"A little help?" he asked, nodding at the rock pinning down his arm.

Sulu made his way over to him and put his shoulder against the rock. Gritting his teeth, he managed to roll it away and held out a hand to help Jim up. Jim allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet, cradlling his arm against his side. It felt fragile and painful, but he didn't think it was broken. Just severely squashed.

"The roof caved," Sulu said, looking up. "It must have been the erruption."

"It was," Chekov agreed. "We're lucky we weren't flooded with lava."

"Lucky us," Jim said flatly. "How long were we out?"

Sulu looked at his watch, frowning. "About two and a half hours. I woke up a while ago but my head... I had some trouble getting up."

Jim took another look at his friend, more careful this time. The crack in Sulu's visor must have been made in the rockfall. He may have a concussion. "You sure you're okay?"

Sulu nodded. "Fine."

Jim glanced at Chekov, who nodded. "I'm fine too," he said quickly.

"Good," Jim said. He knew that Sulu was lying, but Chekov seemed fine. And the sooner they found the radiation they needed quickly, the sooner he could get them both out of harms way. "Chekov? Which way?"

Chekov was checking the apparatus in his bag. Satisifed, he retrieved his sensor and held it up. Then he began to move, picking his way over the rocks.

"This way."

Jim headed after him, gesturing for Sulu to go first where he could keep an eye on him. He carried his injured arm close to his side, uncomfortably aware of the throbbing pains in it. He tried to ignore it, focussing on the task at hand. The cave in had cost them precious time. He thought of Spock back on the _Enterprise, _his body dissolving around him, and was tempted to call them just to see how things were going. But Bones had promised to call if anything happened, and Jim would have to trust him to do that.

"Here!"

Jim blinked, pushing himself back into reality. They had reached the end of the tunnel, and apparently a dead end too. Chekov was running his hands over the rock, holding the sensor close to it.

"The centre is just beyond this wall. Its only thin. I reckon we can blast our way through it."

"Very well," Sulu said, lifting his gun. "Stand back."

"Be careful," Jim warned. "This lava is dangerous. Shoot high up, so it doesn't all come out."

Sulu nodded and aimed higher up on the wall, about a meter off the ground. Then he began to fire. Chekov was right - the wall cracked and gave in seconds, leaving a large hole in it just big enough to climb through. Jim stepped forwards, looking through the hole. Inside he could see a glowing mass of purple magma, occasionally broken by small islands of rock. He glanced back at Chekov.

"This is it?"

Chekov nodded. "This is it. This is the centre."

**Sorry this chapter was a little shorter than the others. I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Please review!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**By the way, this chapter is probably not going to be very acurate AT ALL, but oh well... enjoy!**

* * *

Jim climbed gingerly through the hole and looked around at the centre of the volcano. The lava seemed to be glowing, lighting the room with a soft, purple glare. A tiny shelf of rock ran around the edge of the huge cavern, just wide enough to stand on. Jim picked his way cautiously along it, glancing over his shoulder to watch as Chekov clambered awkwardly through the hole behind him and moved along to make space for Sulu.

"This is the place, then?" Jim asked.

Chekov shook his head and pointed. "No, _that's _the place."

Jim followed his gaze. In the centre of the cavern was a glowing mass of lava, almost solid in the centre, gas swirling around it in a silvery cloud. It was glistening and writhing, as if it were a real living creature. And Jim couldn't see any way to get over to it... he cursed under his breath.

"You can't just get it from over here?"

"It has to be from the centre," Chekov replied. "If there was any other way..."

"I know." Jim sighed. "Okay. We'll just have to work out how to get over there."

He turned, looking up at the cavern's wall. Maybe he could climb it somehow, and go around... yes. He caught sight of a rock jutting out from the wall, almost reaching the glowing, silvery cloud around the centre. He ran a hand over the wall, testing the many hand and footholds. Maybe this would work.

"Chekov, do you think you could climb the wall and collect it from that rock?"

Chekov paled. "I don't think so," he said. "My training didn't include scaling sheer walls above freezing fatal lakes of lava."

"I'll do it," Sulu offered. He reached for the wall and winced, clutching at his side. Jim knocked his hand back down.

"_I'll_ do it," he said. "You're hurt."

"And you're not?"

Jim glanced down at his injured arm and stretched it experimentally. It complained painfully, but he could still move it well enough. "I'll manage," he said. "Chekov, you'll have to talk me through the details."

"I will." Chekov pulled off the band and handed it it him. Jim pulled it onto his back. "Be careful," Chekov warned. "Its very fragile."

Jim turned and placed his hands on the wall. He took a deep breath. Then he pulled himself upwards. His arm throbbed, but he ignored it and continued to scale the side of the cavern. He would have to start moving around to the side if he wanted to reach the rock. He turned his head and then began to inch sideways, reaching for the most stable-looking notches and holes in the wall. He could feel sweat beading on his brow. This was so much easier when there was a safety rope... he swallowed hard. _Remember Spock. Remember why you're here. _He bit his lip and stretched out, gripping with his left and and snatching for a larger jut with his right. His foot slipped, and he would have fallen if he hadn't lunged at the last moment and snatched hold of it. He heard both Sulu and Chekov let out small gasps of fear, but he forced himself to ignore them. He glanced over his shoulder. He was almost there. He shifted his weight to the right, swinging himself over to another small crack just above him. Just one more go... but between here and the rock, the wall was smooth. He would just have to go for it.

"Captain?"

"I've got it," Jim growled through clenched teeth. "Okay..."

He gathered himself, and then pushed off as hard as he could and launched himself forwards. He landed hard on his knees on the rock, jarring his injured arm. But he had made it. He looked up at Chekov and Sulu, grinning. Chekov looked as if he were about to faint, while Sulu was grinning back.

"Jesus, I thought you were gonna fall," Chekov mumbled, wringing his hands before him. "Be _careful."_

"Its okay." Jim pulled off the bag and gently pulled out the machine inside. "Okay, Chekov. How do I use this thing?"

"You see the tube? You need to turn the dial on the end of it to open the bottom of it. Turn it to green."

Jim nodded. The tube was extending out of the end of the machine, held in place by a strange sort of metal grip. On the side of the grip was the dail Chekov had mentioned. Jim switched it to green. The machine hummed softly and the end of the tube opened up.

"Done."

"Now go to the back of it and there's a switch. Switch it to the vacum setting - that's going to suck the radiation in, alright? - and lock it in place. When its taken in as much as it can the green light will come on and you press the button next to it."

"Sounds simple enough," Jim said.

"And you can't move it at all while its collecting the radiation."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Great."

He switched it to the radiation setting and locked it. The machine instantly began to make a loud, whirring sound. Jim turned and crawled to the edge of the rock, holding the machine in one hand. He stretched out, but he couldn't reach it. He shuffled forwards as far as he could, and yet still it was too far away. Jim let his arm fall, scowling.

"I'm too far away."

"Maybe if you come back we could try something else-"

"No, I'm not coming back now," Jim said, shaking his head. "I've come too far. Maybe... okay."

He put the machine down on the rock, and then in one swift movement swung himself over the edge so that he was hanging from it, gripping only with his hands. He braced both feet against the slanted underside of the rock, trying to ignore Chekov's yelps of shock.

"What are you doing! You'll be killed! Captain, please, don't!"

"Captain," Sulu said warningly. "This is a bad idea."

"I've got it, I can do this."

"What good is it if we save Spock's life only to lose yours?"

Jim let go with one hand to retrieve the machine, doing his best to block out that last remark from Sulu. He twisted back, extending his arm towards the glowing centre of the volcano.

"Don't touch it!" Chekov warned. "It'll freeze your hand in seconds."

Jim nodded. The machine's whirring was getting louder, but it didn't seem to be sucking in any of the gas. "What's wrong with it?"

"Its not close enough. Wait, don't!"

Too late. Jim had shoved his hands forwards, hanging onto the edge of the rock now only with his fingertips. The machine instantly began to suck in the silvery gas, the whirring sound rising to a high-pitched whine. Jim dug his fingers into the rock, doing his best to keep his hand steady.

"How much long-ah!"

He broke off as the rock abruptly crumbled beneath his hand. He snatched at the edge of it desperately, managing to grip the rock. His arm screamed, practically dragged out of its socket. He was going to fall, any second now...

"Jim, come back!" Sulu called.

"Its almost done-"

"Don't be an idiot!"

Jim's fingers were beginning to go numb. He couldn't even feel them anymore. He looked over at the hand holding the machine and saw with a jolt that some of the gas was radiating out towards his hand, swirling near his fingers. He sucked in a short gasp as the tips of his fingers began to turn white, and then a pale blue.

"Jim!"

Jim clenched his jaw. _For Spock. _A hand was a small price to pay for a the life of a friend. As long as he didn't let go of the machine. As long as he got the radiation. As long as he could just do this one little thing... his hand was aching painfully, sharp jabs of pain stabbing up into his wrist. Every instinct screamed at him to pull his hand back, but he refused to move. And then, finally, the green light came on. Jim forced his thumb up and fumbled to press the button on the machine beside it... and the rock vanished beneath his hand. Depending on reflex, he pushed upwards with both legs and made a wild grab for the rock, instantly hugging the machine to his chest. He could _not _lose it now, he was so close.

He landed hard with his shoulders and one arm stretched out over the rock and his legs dangling below him. He slid backwards almost at once, but made one last desperate clutch for the rock, his fingers finding a hold on the uneven surface. His arm seared with pain, but he held on.

"Captain!"

"Jim!"

Jim dug his numb fingers into the machine and lifted it safely onto the rock, his hand sliding over the metal. Then with a final, huge effort he swung himself up and rolled awkwardly onto the rock.

"Jim, you okay?"

He looked back at the others, panting hard. His hand was sill completely numb, apart from the pain spearing down his wrist. His fingers were a pale, bloodless blue. He held the hand against his side.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he called back, his voice breathless and shaky. "I've got it."

He pushed the machine back into its bag and swung the bag onto his back. He rose to his feet. "Can you beam us out from here?"

"The radiation will block the transmission," Chekov replied. "We have to return to the surface."

Jim scowled. "Okay. Then we'd better get moving."

He moved back over to the wall. The way back was painfully slow - he could barely use his numbed hand at all and his other arm was already weak and throbbing from its last excertion. It took all of his energy to just hold himself in position, let alone move sideways and back to his starting point. By the time he got there, his whole arm was shaking and another fifteen minutes had passed. Sulu instantly reached out to steady him.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," Jim said. "Lets get back to the surface." He carefully pulled off the bag and held it out. "You'd better take this, Chekov. How long will it take to get back up to the surface?"

Sulu bit his lip. "After the cave in? An hour, maybe more."

Jim sighed heavily. "Lets just hope we get back in time."

**Sorry for the delay with this chapter, and for the fact that its a little short but I have exams coming up and am PANICKING!! Still, since you lovely people all reviewed I decided that I just had to get up another chapter before another week went by. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**Good news: just finished my exams! For now, anyway... but I can get on with the story now! And BTW, to Pampers Baby Dry, I like Chris too! ;) Thankyou again for everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the delay, but on we go... enjoy!**

* * *

Uhura brushed her lips over the back of Spock's hand, holding back a large sob. Sweat glistened on his chest, the blue-green blotches considerably largerand darker now. The reached right up his throat now, and were beginning to spread over one cheek. His eyes were dark holes in his head, the whites tinged slightly with green. He barely seemed to be breathing - every so often Uhura had to stare at his chest for a few seconds just to make sure it was still rising and falling. Spock's eyes were glazed and half-open, gazing blindly straight past her. She was sure that he didn't even know that she was there. He was in another world.

Uhura looked up as Bones reappeared in the room, his face tense and hard. She wet her lips, needing to ask anyway, just in case.

"Any news?"

He shook his head. "They lost communication a while ago. Its probably the radiation blocking them."

Uhura forced in a deep breath, nodding shortly. She squeezed Spock's hand, although she wasn't sure if she was offering him comfort or desperately searching for some herself. She closed her eyes, and then glanced up to watch as Bones checked his patient over. His face said it all.

"I just wish I could make it easier," he mumbled, almost to himself. "This is just... I..." he shook his head. "I wanted to _help _people."

Uhura wanted to tell him that there was still time, that it wasn't too late, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she just held Spock's hand tighter. Bones placed a hand on Spock's shoulder, leaning closer.

"Spock? Can you hear me?" He paused. "Can you squeeze Uhura's hand?"

Uhura waited, but felt no pressure on her fingers. She glanced at Bones, giving a tiny shake of her head. He shut his eyes for a moment.

"He hasn't got long left now."

"Can't he heal himself like before-?"

"His body is being destroyed. He can't come back from that a second time." Bones ran his hand through his hair, and then turned away. "I'm going to watch the scanner, see if they're coming in. If anything happens, call me at once."

"Even if it won't help?"

He swallowed hard. "Even if it won't help."

She heard the door slide shut behind him and then turned her attention back to Spock. She realized with a jolt that his eyes had slid over to her face and were actually focussing on her, meeting her gaze. He blinked slowly.

"Hi," Uhura whispered, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Jim... the Captain is on his way. You're going to be alright, okay?" She leant forwards, brushing his hair back from his head with shaking fingers. "Just hold on, Spock. Hold on for me, okay?"

He blinked again, and then his eyes slid out of focus and stared past her once more. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she bent down, pressing her lips against his. He remained silent and unresponsive. She held it for a few moments, and then sat back at last, sniffing.

"I'll hold on if you do," she said softly to him. "Hear me? But if you give in... so do I."

* * *

Spock was burning.

His whole body felt as if it were about to collapse in on itself, as if it were being licked with sharp tongues of flame. His eyes stung and watered, and yet he barely had the energy to move them. Throbs of pain stabbed through his heart every other beat... but it was beginning to dull. After the hours of raw agony and pain, he was finally beginning to feel some relief... instead of the red haze hovering before his eyes, a deep, comforting darkness was beginning to seep towards him. He welcomed it readily, desperate for an end to the pain. It was finally going to go away. It was all going to end at last.

_"Spock... me... hand?"_

The words floated through the haze towards him, grabbing his attention. Something about a hand... he didn't care anymore. He just wanted it to end... and then he heard Uhura's voice. He couldn't make out what she was saying. Was she here? Had she been with him through all of this? With a huge effort, he managed to close his eyes and then open them once more. He could just make her out; her dark eyes, her beautiful glossy hair... she _was _there. She leant forwards, her lips moving, but he couldn't hear her words. He did his best but he was beginning to slip back into the haze, and he couldn't fight it.

_"Hold on... for me..."_

For her, he would do anything... but right now he could barely breathe. And he was falling, the haze pinning back over his eyes. He could no longer see her. He wanted to grab for her, to shout her name.

_Don't leave me... Nyota! Don't go..._

But she was gone, and the darkness was beginning to slide back towards him again. He didn't have any strength left now to fight it off... and he didn't want to...

_Nyota..._

* * *

"Okay, stop... stop!"

Jim stopped, leaning heavily on the tunnel wall. It was almost leading vertical, straight upwards, and the only way to stay still was to lodge his hands and feet into cranies in the wall. And he was working with only one hand - his right hand was still numb and he was holding it protectively against his chest. His head was swimming, although either from the lack of oxygen below ground or the blow to the head he had taken earlier he didn't know. He looked up at Sulu, who was crouched just above him.

"We've reached a dead end."

Jim shut his eyes in despair. End of the tunnel meant another tunnel, and another half hour lost to the volcano. Below him, Chekov groaned.

"Can you break through it somehow?"

"Maybe... it seems thinner here. I'll try."

He pulled out his gun and began to hit the rock with the hilt of it. Jim kept his eyes squeezed shut, praying silently to whatever god there was that this would work. They couldn't waste any more time down here - Spock needed them _now. _He listened to the repetitive banging of metal against rock.

_Come on, please... please... please..._

A sudden crumbling sound broke through the silence and rock tumbled down onto Jim's visor. He shook his head, gasping in shock. Somehow, his prayers had been answered: Sulu was clawing his way up and out into bright sunlight. Jim pushed up with his legs, gratefully taking Sulu's offered hand and dragging himself out of the tunnel. Wind brushed over his face, unbelievably beautiful after the cramped, claustrophobic darkness. He looked down at Chekov, who was scrambling up out of the tunnel.

"We made it!" he gasped. "Finally..."

"Someone call the _Enterprise,_" Jim said, to tired to celebrate. "We have to get up there now."

Chekov pulled out his com at once. After a few moments he grinned, and the familiar rushing sensation moved over them. Jim shut his eyes tightly, and then looked up as Scotty moved towards them in the teleportation room.

"Whoa, you look like crap," Scotty informed him.

Jim managed a smile. "Thanks, Scotty."

He held out his hand for the tube of radiation, which Chekov passed him, and then strode for the door. "I expect to see you two in the medical room," he threw back over his shoulder as he left.

He jogged to the lift and threw himself inside, clawing off his visor. He reached the right floor and stumbled along it to the medical bay. The doors slid open and Bones and Uhura looked up. Jim wouldn't let himself look at Spock. He didn't want to know what had happened to his friend while he was away. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Bones and held out the tube.

"There," he growled. "Now cure him."

**Sorry this chapter was a little shorter than normal, but I'm very tired right now. Just come back from seeing 'Drag me to hell' which is in short AAAAAARRRRRRRGGHHHHH!!!! Worth going to see, but only if you want to live in paranoia for a few months. :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter, more soon!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

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"Jim, for god's sake!" Bones burst out at last. "If you don't let me look at it now, your hand is going to fall off."

Jim leant around him as he pushed him back towards the beds on the other side of the medical bay, trying to catch another glimpse of Spock. He had watched as Bones had gently pumped the radiation into a mask fixed over Spock's mouth and nose, waited with baited breath for something to happen that would show him that everything would be fine. But nothing had happened. Spock had remained motionless and pale, his shot breaths gently misting on the clear plastic mask. Bones had nervously explained that he didn't know how long it would take to work, or if it would even work at all considering the amount of time it had been. Jim had stayed while Sulu and Chekov had been patched up and sent back to their quarters. And now he was still here.

"Why the hell is it taking so long, Bones?" he demanded, tearing his arm free. "What did I do wrong? Did I get the wrong stuff? Was I... was I too late?"

"You did everything you could-"

"Stop talking like he's already dead!"

It came out louder and higher than he had meant for it to. On the other side of the room beside Spock, Uhura looked up at the outburst. Jim bit his lip, as if trying to swallow the words back. Taking advantage of the silence, Bones shoved him back onto one of the medical benches and grabbed his hand. He examined it closely, probing his way along it with his fingers. Jim looked past him again at Spock. He had tried. He had got the god damn radiation. He had done everything humanly possible, and it wasn't enough. He glanced at Uhura. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes closing. He was feeling the weight of tiredness too - his whole body seemed to be aching.

"Can you make a fist and open up again?"

Jim obiediantly tried to fist his hand. His fingers twitched inwards a few centimeters, and then dropped back again. Bones nodded and reached for a needle on the bench. He took Jim's hand again and gave him five injections: one in the wrist, two in the palm and two in the back of his hand near his knuckles. Jim gasped as an unbearable burning heat swept out over his hand and snatched it back, cradling it in his left. He was uncomfortably reminded of his first few moments aboard the _Enterprise, _when Bones had treated him with several injections. None of which had very good consequences, if he remembered correctly.

"That should help it," Bones said, almost to himself. "But I'm going to give you a thermal glove just to keep it stable."

He retrieved the glove from the bench, which was lined inside with a silvery foil-like matireal. Since Jim still couldn't move his hand, Bones had to slide the glove on himself.

"The movement should come back after about twenty four hours. You'll have to wear this all night and for two days afterwards."

"Bones..." Jim swallowed hard, holding his right hand against his chest again. "Are you sure there's-"

"No, Jim," Bones replied. "There's nothing more I can do for Spock. And I suggest you go back to your room and get some sleep before you faint."

"But Spock needs me-"

"You can't always be there."

Jim shot him a glare. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet and moved over to the door, keeping his right hand motionless. He took one glance back as the doors slid open for him. Bones was moving over to check Spock's vitals again. Uhura appeared to have fallen asleep. Spock hadn't moved at all.

Bones was right. There was nothing he could do but wait.

* * *

Uhura jerked awake with a start as she began to tumble off her seat. She grabbed the wall just in time and pulled herself upright, wincing as her side ached from the cramped position. She looked around for Spock, panicking for a moment, and then relaxed as she saw that he was right where she had last seen him. She couldn't even tell if the bruising had changed or not, although it seemed to be exactly the same as before...

"You're awake."

Uhura looked over her shoulder as Bones stepped up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She ran her tongue over her lips, blinking hard.

"You shouldn't have let me fall asleep. Where's Jim?"

"He went to bed."

"How long has it been?"

Bones glanced at his watch. "Since we gave him the antidote radiation? About four hours."

"God..." she pressed her face into her hands, sighing heavily. Tears pricked at her eyes. "It's not going to work, is it?"

Bones swallowed hard. "There's still a chance..."

Uhura felt a hysterical laugh push past her lips. "A chance. Its not enough."

"Its something."

Uhura leant against Bones, closing her eyes again. "This waiting... its torture."

"I know." He hesitated. "Maybe you should just go to your quarters and get some rest."

"But what if he dies? What if he's alone?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving him."

"You sure?"

She nodded. Bones sighed and gave her shoulder a final squeeze before moving away. "Alright. You know you can call me if you need to."

She nodded again.

* * *

Spock was breathing too much.

Every breath that went in rasped on its way out, sending jolts of pain through him. He couldn't even control it - it was an impulsive reflex, something which he couldn't prevent, and yet even now he didn't feel as if he were getting enough air in. The deep breaths had sent him into a whole new world of pain, where red and white dots danced before his eyelids and his very blood seemed to be boiling. He had been so sure tha it was fading away, but now it was all surging back in on him again, and he couldn't stop it. He was helpless. He wanted to scream, or even beg, but no words were coming out.

_Nyota..._

Where was she? He'd thought she'd been there... before... but now there was nothing but silence. Before he had just wanted it all to end so that he could go somewhere better, but now all he wanted was to wake up. He wanted to get back into his life. Where was the _Enterprise _now? Had they returned to Earth yet? He hated not knowing. He hated being stuck here in this pit of darkness with no way out, no light to show him the way...

A sudden stab of pain made him suck in a gasp of shock. The stab came again, spearing straight through his chest like a javelin. He heard a moan of pain - had that come from him? - and felt his whole body jolt and spasm. He still wasn't in control, but suddenly he was aware of feeling very, very cold. His head was throbbing and stinging.

And then it really kicked in, and a scream tore through his lips. It was like dying. It was like been ripped apart... and this time, it wasn't going away.

**Gasp! Is it all over for Spock? I know, I'm so cruel... Find out in the next chapter! Please Review!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or the universe for that matter... but one day you'll all see...**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

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Uhura flinched as Spock suddenly let out a terrible scream of agony, his back arching upwards off the hospital bed. She leapt to her feet, reaching for her com.

"Bones! Bones, come quick, somethings wrong!"

Spock screamed again, and Uhura grabbed him with both hands, all thoughts of Bones vanishing from her mind. Her only thought was Spock. She had to do something, anything.

"Spock! Spock, its okay," she said, almost crying with fear and grief. "Spock, please, it'll be okay..."

He twisted and bucked on the bed, his face a mask of pain. A single, tortured word fluttered past his lips, a word that made her heart lurch.

"N-Nyota... Nyota, h-h-help... aungh!"

"Spock!" she cried, gripping his hand tightly. "I'm right here, shh, I'm right here beside you. I promise I'm not going anywhere."

Spock's whole body suddenly tensed, trembling wildly. She panicked. What was she supposed to do? Nothing had changed. His brow was still glistening with sweat, the terrible bruising was still blotched over his chest... wait. She took another look. The bruising was beginning to fade. No, she must be wrong. She must be just tired... but it was true. The bruising was slowly shrinking away into tiny dots here and there, until he looked almost like normal. She lifted her eyes to his face, hardly daring to believe it. His face was still strained and lined with pain, but the green bruising that had been spreading up the side of his face was shrinking away too. His eyes were still dark hollows in his head, and he was still pale... but the internal bleeding seemed to be stopping. For a moment, Uhura was completely stumped. And then she realized.

The counter radiation, the antidote, had been given to him. And now, he was recovering. It was actually _working..._

Even as the thought pushed its way through her weary, stunned mind, Spock's eyes flew open. The whites had lost their green tinge, and the unnerving glazed stare was gone. Instead, his eyes focussed on her and flicked over her face, panicked and wild.

"N-Nyota," he rasped, weakly gripping her hand back.

A sob caught in her throat and she swallowed it down as best she could. "Spock," she whispered. "You okay?"

He shut his eyes for a few moments, struggling to control his rushed breathing. "I... I think... so."

Uhura let out a long sigh of relief and shuffled closer. "Just relax," she coaxed him, trying to keep her voice steady. "Everything's fine. You're okay."

Slowly, Spock's body relaxed and he sank back into the pillow. Uhura leant over him, 'shh'ing softly and brushing the sweat-slicked hair back from his forehead. His eyes fluttered shut, his breathing evening out. Uhura felt a huge smile spreading over her face. It was going to be alright. Everything was actually going to be alright... she looked up as the doors slid open and Bones appeared, his face red, breathing hard.

"What happened? I got your call - god, I heard him scream, what happened?"

Uhura smiled. "A miracle happened, Bones. He's going to be alright."

* * *

Jim pulled the glove further up his wrist, flexing his fingers experimentally. They still ached and stung a little at the joints, but at least now he could move them. He had woken up that morning to the good news that Spock had been revived in the early hours, and that Uhura had finally retired to her quarters a few hours later. Now, he pulled his uniform straight as he made his way towards the medical bay, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of his friend before having to attend to his duties as captain. He buzzed the door softly before stepping inside. Bones looked up from Spock's side, and then moved over towards Jim. Jim grinned - Spock was looking much better. He was still pale and clearly very weak, but the bruising was gone and he didn't seem to be as thin as he had before. He was propped up on some pillows, lying back in a seated position with his eyes closed, a mask fitted over his nose and mouth.

"How is he?" Jim murmured as Bones reached him.

"He's doing well," Bones replied, smiling. "The recovery was much more dramatic than I was expecting. To be honest, I thought he was not going to pull through... but then again, he is extremely stubborn."

"You can say that again," Jim grinned.

"I'm just giving him a little more of the antidote at the moment, and it will be a few days before he's up and about but at this rate he'll be back to his old self within a week. His Vulcan healing powers should take over once they've been given a kickstart."

"Thanks, Bones," Jim said. "Thanks for everything."

Bones snorted. "Don't thank me, you were the one who dived down a flaming volcano and almost lost your hand."

"Can I talk to him?"

Bones hesitated, and then nodded. "Sure. Just don't keep him up too long, okay?"

Jim agreed and moved past him. He made his way over to Spock's bedside, and then stopped, unsure of what to say. He didn't hesitate for long - Spock's eyes suddenly opened and turned on him. The Vulcan lifted a hand and pulled the mask away from his face, his movements still a little lethargic.

"Captain," he said hoarsely.

"Hey, Spock," Jim replied, grinning at him. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," Spock said. "I understand I owe my life to you."

"Chekov and Sulu helped," Jim added. "But you don't owe any of us anything."

"All the same... thank you."

Jim shrugged. He sat down in the chair Uhura had practically lived in for the last few days. "I heard Uhura finally left you," he said. "I bet she didn't go without a fight."

A small smile quirked the corners of Spock's mouth. "I persuaded her eventually. She was beginning to look more ill than me."

Jim laughed. "She really does love you, huh? Stayed by your side all the time."

Spock's smile faded at the sudden personal turn the conversation had taken, but then gave a short, curt nod. "I believe so," he replied formally.

Jim rolled his eyes. "I save you from death and you still don't know how to show emotion. Ah well, I guess some things never change." He stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "And don't think this changes anything; I expect to see you on the bridge in two weeks."

"One week," Spock corrected. "According to Dr, ah, Bones, I will be fit enough to perform my duties within one week."

"But I said two," Jim replied. "And as I'm the captain, what I say goes. You'll just have to, I don't know, take it easy for another week..."

Spock's eyes narrowed. "You cannot confine me to the hospital bay for three weeks, Jim-"

"I think you'll find I can," Jim said, smirking. "Or at least until you're one hundred percent again. I don't plan on losing you any time soon."

He turned and made his way towards the door. As he reached it, Spock called out in a hoarse, wavering voice.

"Jim?"

He paused. Spock seemed to be having difficulty finding the right words.

"I... there's... I don't think... there's nothing that could repay you for what you've done, but if there is anything-"

"Actually, there is," Jim said solemnly, turning to face him. Spock fell silent, watching him. Jim took a deep breath, looked Spock in the eye. "You can... you can give me your chocolate mix dessert for a month."

Spock scowled. Before he could say anything, Jim turned and strode for the door, tossing back a, "See ya!" over his shoulder. As he made his way down the corridor towards the lift, his heart felt unusually warm. He had done it. He had saved Spock.

And there was no way he was ever going to let the Vulcan forget it.

**Okay, thats it! El fin! I've really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope the ending wasn't too abrupt. Please review!**

**SUPRNTRAL LVR.**


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